Posts
It's the final four, and I think it's a pretty good race. If Dan and Andrew get eliminated this week, as they should, it will be a really good Final 3.
The teams start out in Khazakhtstan, and Nick and Starr are the first to head out to Moscow. Once in Moscow, they have to get to a monastery, and enter the church and light a candle to get their next clue. It's Nick's birthday, and Starr made him a t-shirt that said "It's my Birthday!" They get a flight to Moscow that is at 6:05 AM. This gives them a whole night at the airport. That sucks.
To keep them company, Toni and Dallas (who's hair is kind of hilariously "finger stuck in a light socket" this week - more so than I've seen in the past) show up and get on the same flight. Dallas and Starr spent some of the down time flirting. Nick appreciates the prospect of the Dallas/Starr romance.
Arriving third at the airport are Ken and Tina, who get on the same flight. Dan and Andrew forgot their shoes at the last Detour and ended up wearing hotel slippers, and then had to haggle with the taxi driver to get the price down. And, in the end, they all get on the same flight.
Dan and Andrew checked out a 24-hour shoe store in the airport, and spent over $100 on two pairs of sneakers. I think it was probably the best bet, since they weren't going to get far in hotel slippers.
Off the plane in Moscow, Dan and Andrew used their new sneakers to run to the first taxi. Nick and Starr got a taxi driver who spoke no English, and they ended up behind Dallas and Toni and following them. Ken and Tina were also unsure if their driver knew where they were going, and he ended up stopping to ask for directions, along with Dan and Andrew.
Turns out the following was a good idea, and Starr and Nick and Dallas and Toni got to the monastery first. The women had to cover their heads and they all lit candles and got their clues.
They have to travel by taxi to a decommissioned military base at the outskirts of Moscow, to search for their next clue. Dallas and Toni worried about running out of money, and Nick and Starr worried about getting lost. Meanwhile, both of the other teams headed to the military base.
Dallas and Toni were the first to arrive at the military camp.
It's a Detour:
Don a traditional Russian military uniform, including foot wraps, and choose from:
Boots - learn a traditional parade march and march a lap of the parade grounds.
Borsht - serve borsht to 75 soldiers, and be clean about it.
Nick and Starr's taxi driver got very lost and everyone else got to the military base first. Dallas and Toni chose Boots, and were pretty uncoordinated at first. Tina was uncomfortable changing in front of everyone, but ended up sucking it up. Dan and Andrew thought they would be good for the Boots, because of years of marching band experience. Unfortunately, they had troubles getting the uniforms on. Toni and Dallas and Ken and Tina did a good job with their marching and got their next clues, just as Nick and Starr were arriving.
Somehow, Dan and Andrew thought they could get past the uniform by choosing Borsht, but they didn't seem to realize they needed uniforms for that, too. Way to read the clues, morons. Nick and Starr had no troubles getting into the uniforms, and began the marching.
Dan and Andrew read the clue again and realized they had to go back and do the uniform. Their ineptitude at dressing themselves sent them into last place, and then, even with "years" of Marching Band experience, they were truly embarrassing at the marching. They had band members heckling them. They really should have served soup. Dan was the offending party with the marching. He said "I'm not arts and music based, I'm sports and tv based." After several failures, they switched to Borsht.
Dallas and Toni reached the next clue first, and it's a Roadblock.
One team member must deliver 50 x 55 lb bags of flour to a bakery by placing them horizantally on the floor. Once delivered, they get the next clue.
Dallas did the Roadblock, and got reprimanded by the shop owner for not being neat, but managed to do a good job of it, and worked it out. Ken and Tina arrived second, and Ken did the task. Nick and Starr's taxi driver had a hard time finding the bakery. Dan and Andrew did a better job of serving and headed to the bakery.
Dallas finished the Roadblock first, and they headed to the Pit Stop, which is a park in the middle of the city. Ken made up a lot of time and they weren't far behind. They drove off as Nick and Starr headed into the Roadblock, and they dismissed their taxi driver, deciding they would find a new taxi driver if they needed it. Nick did the job, and was heckled by the bakery woman - who said "He is not fit." Still, they finished the task before Dan and Andrew showed up.
Nick and Starr did have a hard time finding a new taxi, and Dan did the Roadblock. He seemed to do an ok job with it.
The next clue sent them to the Pit Stop. Nick and Starr found another taxi, who also had no idea where the park was. They finally got a driver who knew his way around, as Dan and Andrew worried that they would not have enough money to pay their cabbie.
Toni and Dallas got to the Pit Stop first, and they were thrilled to win one. They won a trip for two to the Dominican Republic, including all sorts of kooshy things, like a helicopter ride, spa, and lobster dinner on the beach. Ken and Tina came in second. Nick and Starr finally got to the park, and had a hard time finding the pit stop. Dan and Andrew fought with the cabbie about money, and Dan even offered to sell his shoes, and finally offered what I think was money out of his own wallet.
Happily, Nick and Starr came in third. Dan and Andrew arrived last. Tragically, it is a non-elimination leg. They have to do a Speedbump during the next leg. I hope it trips them up.
I want to know what they gave the cabbie in the end! Did anyone catch it?
Next week looks insane. More fun from Rhythmically-Challenged Dan, and one team loses their passports and all their money! Any bets on who?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Oh no! Pushing Daisies!
As you may know, Pushing Daisies is my favorite show on television. And I watch a lot of television, so that's not a statement lightly made.
This was recently posted on a message board I frequent, and I wanted to share it with you, my dear readers.
Here's the email I sent - to the Feedback section of the website.
It has recently come to my attention that the decision has been made to not order any new episodes of the best and most unique show on television, Pushing Daisies.
I am writing to urge you to try to move the show to another network. I think that ABC Family might be a perfect choice. This show is sublime on so many levels, and I would mourn the loss of it. The acting is amazing, the characters are completely appealing, the writing is quirky and imaginative, and each week, it's the show that I want to give a big hug to.
I think that television would be a much more interesting genre if shows like Pushing Daisies were given more of a chance before getting the axe. I have no interest in watching CSI: Albequerque. I don't care about another Grey's Anatomy spin-off. I want the fantastical world of Pushing Daisies, for many many years to come. I know I am not alone.
Give it a chance, please, I implore you.
I have not yet decided if I will commence sending pies to them in protest.
I also wrote to ABC - and encourage you to do the same.
This was recently posted on a message board I frequent, and I wanted to share it with you, my dear readers.
‘Move Pushing Daisies’ Campaign Begins
With the ratings for “Oh Oh Oh… It’s Magic” reaching a series low, PD future is looking ever more grim. But at this time, giving up is something that we should NOT do!
So we are going to start a new campaign, the “Move Pushing Daisies Campaign”, to e-mail, send letters to Warner Bros and try to convince them to move it another network or if this doesn’t work — at least a Direct-To-DVD 2 hour movie special that wraps up the show.
Sends letters and packages to:
Pushing Daisies Warner Bros. TV
300 Television Plaza Burbank, CA 91505
And you can contact them online here:
http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/main/help/c…mer_service.jsp
*********
So, do your part and join in the fight for Pushing Daisies!
It has recently come to my attention that the decision has been made to not order any new episodes of the best and most unique show on television, Pushing Daisies.
I am writing to urge you to try to move the show to another network. I think that ABC Family might be a perfect choice. This show is sublime on so many levels, and I would mourn the loss of it. The acting is amazing, the characters are completely appealing, the writing is quirky and imaginative, and each week, it's the show that I want to give a big hug to.
I think that television would be a much more interesting genre if shows like Pushing Daisies were given more of a chance before getting the axe. I have no interest in watching CSI: Albequerque. I don't care about another Grey's Anatomy spin-off. I want the fantastical world of Pushing Daisies, for many many years to come. I know I am not alone.
Give it a chance, please, I implore you.
I have not yet decided if I will commence sending pies to them in protest.
I also wrote to ABC - and encourage you to do the same.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Survivor Gabon: 11.20.08
I'm still mad that they named the merged tribe Nobag. Really? Really?
Randy is stunned that he was not voted out, because he has no friends, but he thinks that they made the right choice. The remaining Onion, mainly Corrine, is feeling nervous about her future.
Sugar is gunning for Randy. She had a chat with Bob and he told her that he made a fake idol. She was impressed. He says he is only going to tell her about it. I would love to see a Sugar/Bob alliance to the end. That would be pretty cool.
Corinne and Randy had a talk about the peeling of the Onion alliance, and they agreed that they hate everyone else. They want to work on Matty, and try to pull him over to their side.
Treemail has individual envelopes for everyone, and it's time for the Survivor Auction!!!
They each have $500, bidding in increments of $20, and they cannot pool or share.
The first item is beer and peanuts. Randy and Sugar bid on it, and it goes for $180 to Randy. The next item is hidden, and Ken and Randy bid back and forth. Ken got it for $340 and it turned out to be a scroll reading - "Send yourself or someone else to Exile, and if you send someone else, you get all their money." He sent Bob, and took his money.
The next item was also covered, and Randy and Ken went back and forth, until Sugar upped it to $340, and she got chocolate and peanut butter. This was enough to get Heidi and Jenna naked a few seasons ago, so I think she got a bargain.
The next item is a hot bath and grooming materials, and a clean set of their own clothes. Susie got it for $340. Sugar said Ken should have gone for it, because she would have cuddled with him with no clothes on, and he said "Would you cuddle with a rich man?" no answer.
The next item is burgers, fries, and a soda. Matty got it for $400.
Susie decided to get out of her bath after a really short amount of time because it was too hot. Crazy.
The next covered item went to Randy and it was $280 - Spaghetti, garlic bread and a glass of wine.
Corinne got the next item (for all of her $500) when Ken gave it up. It's a bottle with a clue in it, and it remains sealed until the next immunity item.
Next, Randy bought a covered item for $20 for the whole tribe, and it was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. Sugar wanted to give hers to Matty, and he said no, and gave it to Corinne, and then Randy offered Sugar his own cookie, and she gave it to Matty. And the auction is over. I don't get the animosity between Sugar and Randy. I don't think we have seen the whole story.
Randy is out of his mind mad back at camp. about a cookie. Insane. Matty went to chat with Randy and Corrine, and told him that he set himself up, and needs to drop the attitude.
Over at Exile, Bob goes for a clue and realizes he's already gotten the clue, so went off on his own personal safari, and just enjoyed it. It was a breathtaking bit of editing, and I still love his attitude.
Back at camp, there are talks amongst everyone. Everyone wants to get rid of Randy, except Matty wants Bob gone because he's more of a physical threat. Sugar thinks that Matty is really playing the game, and as a physical threat, he doesn't want Bob, the other physical threat around. He is sure it needs to be Bob, then Randy, then Corinne.
The next morning, Randy talked to Corinne, and told her he was going to crash and burn all day, and make everyone miserable, and hopes that Bob will give him the Hidden Idol. Little does he know that it's fake. I hope that Bob gives him the fake one and says nothing. That would make me laugh and laugh and laugh.
Randy followed his plan pretty well, and Crystal said he was "wreaking havoc in the Nobag Tribe." I can't take that tribe name seriously. Randy calls his plan "Operation Strongarm." We'll see about that.
And it's time for an Immunity Challenge!
The challenge involves racing across balance beams carrying a bag of puzzle blocks. The first two people to get three bags across the line move on.
The final round involves Puzzle blocks arranged on a multi-level platform, avoiding trip wires, to arrange them like dominos, to fall and raise their flag.
Corrine's bottle is opened, and she gets an automatic pass in the first round, so the first two people move on.
Matty and Ken are first across, followed by Bob and Susie. Matty and Ken get their second bags, and poor Bob fell off right at the end with his second bag and missed it. Matty got his third bag across, and then it was a battle, ending with Ken securing his place in the next round.
The Domino round is tricky. Corinne and Matty started at the beginning, and Ken went to the end first, and that was not the best strategy, because he tripped the wires easily. He picked up the pieces and kept arranging. Ken and Matty seemed to finish at about the same time, and Ken gave his a shot first. His spacing was off and he failed the first time. Matty and Ken both gave it a try, with Corrine following suit. It was a fight to the end, and Corrine's stopped short, along with Matty's, and Ken managed to work it out and win Immunity. Good for him.
Back at camp, Ken is pretty happy about his win, and Randy is grumped out. He thinks the majority is gunning for him, and he wouldn't be wrong. Sugar tells Bob that he should offer Randy the fake idol, and looks forward to seeing the hilarity. So do I. Bob acknowledges that he can't save himself directly with the fake idol, but he could keep his longevity a while longer with the fake one. Corinne talks to Bob and tells him that she hopes he can share the idol with Randy. Bob did a wonderful acting job, acting unsure about what to do with it, and then ended up giving over the (fake) idol in the forest. Tee hee.
I think if nothing else, Sugar is on Bob's side wholeheartedly now.
Sugar told Ken and Crystal "Tonight is going to be the funkiest night of your life. Wait for it. Wait for it." I am so excited.
At Tribal, the Cookie Fiasco is brought up again. Randy won't let it go. I forsee this being an issue at the Reunion. Susie says that she thinks Randy is probably a sad person inside, and she feels sorry for him. He gets defensive and says that he feels that's like her saying "You're so pathetic." To me, that would be about right.
Let's get right to the vote. There were some unpleasant words from Sugar towards Randy (and I can't say I disagree.) As most of them whisper at the vote, but Crystal practically yelled her joy at voting for Randy, and the people back at the benches looked incredulous.
And hilarity ensued. Randy played the Fake Idol. Go Bob.
Sugar and Crystal tittered as Jeff tossed the Fake Idol into the fire. Corinne looked stricken. The votes were read, and Randy is outta here. I hope that Bob manages to stick around for a while - and that this doesn't potentially cost him jury votes.
Corrine looked pissed.
I'm kind of sad that Bob's wonderful fake idol got burned. It was so good.
And next week, it gets more interesting. There was a scene of Bob telling Corinne that Marcus hid the "disposed" Immunity Idol at camp (after hiding it in his pocket), and told him (Bob) where it was. Is this an attempt at fooling Corrine right out of the game, too? We'll see.
Can't wait to see it!
Randy is stunned that he was not voted out, because he has no friends, but he thinks that they made the right choice. The remaining Onion, mainly Corrine, is feeling nervous about her future.
Sugar is gunning for Randy. She had a chat with Bob and he told her that he made a fake idol. She was impressed. He says he is only going to tell her about it. I would love to see a Sugar/Bob alliance to the end. That would be pretty cool.
Corinne and Randy had a talk about the peeling of the Onion alliance, and they agreed that they hate everyone else. They want to work on Matty, and try to pull him over to their side.
Treemail has individual envelopes for everyone, and it's time for the Survivor Auction!!!
They each have $500, bidding in increments of $20, and they cannot pool or share.
The first item is beer and peanuts. Randy and Sugar bid on it, and it goes for $180 to Randy. The next item is hidden, and Ken and Randy bid back and forth. Ken got it for $340 and it turned out to be a scroll reading - "Send yourself or someone else to Exile, and if you send someone else, you get all their money." He sent Bob, and took his money.
The next item was also covered, and Randy and Ken went back and forth, until Sugar upped it to $340, and she got chocolate and peanut butter. This was enough to get Heidi and Jenna naked a few seasons ago, so I think she got a bargain.
The next item is a hot bath and grooming materials, and a clean set of their own clothes. Susie got it for $340. Sugar said Ken should have gone for it, because she would have cuddled with him with no clothes on, and he said "Would you cuddle with a rich man?" no answer.
The next item is burgers, fries, and a soda. Matty got it for $400.
Susie decided to get out of her bath after a really short amount of time because it was too hot. Crazy.
The next covered item went to Randy and it was $280 - Spaghetti, garlic bread and a glass of wine.
Corinne got the next item (for all of her $500) when Ken gave it up. It's a bottle with a clue in it, and it remains sealed until the next immunity item.
Next, Randy bought a covered item for $20 for the whole tribe, and it was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. Sugar wanted to give hers to Matty, and he said no, and gave it to Corinne, and then Randy offered Sugar his own cookie, and she gave it to Matty. And the auction is over. I don't get the animosity between Sugar and Randy. I don't think we have seen the whole story.
Randy is out of his mind mad back at camp. about a cookie. Insane. Matty went to chat with Randy and Corrine, and told him that he set himself up, and needs to drop the attitude.
Over at Exile, Bob goes for a clue and realizes he's already gotten the clue, so went off on his own personal safari, and just enjoyed it. It was a breathtaking bit of editing, and I still love his attitude.
Back at camp, there are talks amongst everyone. Everyone wants to get rid of Randy, except Matty wants Bob gone because he's more of a physical threat. Sugar thinks that Matty is really playing the game, and as a physical threat, he doesn't want Bob, the other physical threat around. He is sure it needs to be Bob, then Randy, then Corinne.
The next morning, Randy talked to Corinne, and told her he was going to crash and burn all day, and make everyone miserable, and hopes that Bob will give him the Hidden Idol. Little does he know that it's fake. I hope that Bob gives him the fake one and says nothing. That would make me laugh and laugh and laugh.
Randy followed his plan pretty well, and Crystal said he was "wreaking havoc in the Nobag Tribe." I can't take that tribe name seriously. Randy calls his plan "Operation Strongarm." We'll see about that.
And it's time for an Immunity Challenge!
The challenge involves racing across balance beams carrying a bag of puzzle blocks. The first two people to get three bags across the line move on.
The final round involves Puzzle blocks arranged on a multi-level platform, avoiding trip wires, to arrange them like dominos, to fall and raise their flag.
Corrine's bottle is opened, and she gets an automatic pass in the first round, so the first two people move on.
Matty and Ken are first across, followed by Bob and Susie. Matty and Ken get their second bags, and poor Bob fell off right at the end with his second bag and missed it. Matty got his third bag across, and then it was a battle, ending with Ken securing his place in the next round.
The Domino round is tricky. Corinne and Matty started at the beginning, and Ken went to the end first, and that was not the best strategy, because he tripped the wires easily. He picked up the pieces and kept arranging. Ken and Matty seemed to finish at about the same time, and Ken gave his a shot first. His spacing was off and he failed the first time. Matty and Ken both gave it a try, with Corrine following suit. It was a fight to the end, and Corrine's stopped short, along with Matty's, and Ken managed to work it out and win Immunity. Good for him.
Back at camp, Ken is pretty happy about his win, and Randy is grumped out. He thinks the majority is gunning for him, and he wouldn't be wrong. Sugar tells Bob that he should offer Randy the fake idol, and looks forward to seeing the hilarity. So do I. Bob acknowledges that he can't save himself directly with the fake idol, but he could keep his longevity a while longer with the fake one. Corinne talks to Bob and tells him that she hopes he can share the idol with Randy. Bob did a wonderful acting job, acting unsure about what to do with it, and then ended up giving over the (fake) idol in the forest. Tee hee.
I think if nothing else, Sugar is on Bob's side wholeheartedly now.
Sugar told Ken and Crystal "Tonight is going to be the funkiest night of your life. Wait for it. Wait for it." I am so excited.
At Tribal, the Cookie Fiasco is brought up again. Randy won't let it go. I forsee this being an issue at the Reunion. Susie says that she thinks Randy is probably a sad person inside, and she feels sorry for him. He gets defensive and says that he feels that's like her saying "You're so pathetic." To me, that would be about right.
Let's get right to the vote. There were some unpleasant words from Sugar towards Randy (and I can't say I disagree.) As most of them whisper at the vote, but Crystal practically yelled her joy at voting for Randy, and the people back at the benches looked incredulous.
And hilarity ensued. Randy played the Fake Idol. Go Bob.
Sugar and Crystal tittered as Jeff tossed the Fake Idol into the fire. Corinne looked stricken. The votes were read, and Randy is outta here. I hope that Bob manages to stick around for a while - and that this doesn't potentially cost him jury votes.
Corrine looked pissed.
I'm kind of sad that Bob's wonderful fake idol got burned. It was so good.
And next week, it gets more interesting. There was a scene of Bob telling Corinne that Marcus hid the "disposed" Immunity Idol at camp (after hiding it in his pocket), and told him (Bob) where it was. Is this an attempt at fooling Corrine right out of the game, too? We'll see.
Can't wait to see it!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Top Chef - 11.19.08
Let's see if I can keep everyone straight this time! I apologize for my sometimes lacking formatting, it's a busy time.
Richard laments the loss of Pat from Team Rainbow. Ariene feels vulnerable, and Stefan feels pretty good. Fabio says he doesn't mind Stefan winning the challenges. "In Italian, we have a saying. It doesn't matter how many dragons you kill, it's who takes home the princess."
And with that, onward to the Quickfire, where the guest judge is Donatella Arpeia (sure I messed that name up). I wish I knew these guest judges more.
Their quickfire is all about cooking something New Yorkers love - hot dogs. They are cooking against a famous hot dog cart cook - Angelina. Chef with the best hot dog in 45 minutes wins immunity.
Some are making hot dogs from scratch, and both Stefan and Fabio decide to make something on the panini side of things. Radhika, who doesn't want to be called the Indian cook, is making an Indian-inspired kebab-dog. Sounds good, so hopefully it won't pigeon-hole her.
Jill - Summer Roll hot dog cooked in chili, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. She did not make her own hot dog, and they didn't say much about it.
Radhika - Kabob-stule sausage (lamb, pork, ground chuck) with caramelized onions, cucumbers, and tomato jam. I would so eat that. Of course, I love Indian food, and I love kabob, so I am predisposed to cheer for Radhika.
Daniel - Pork Hot dog with horseradish mustard, fried onion, garlic powder. He used his own casing. They looked like they liked it.
Eugene - Maki roll hot dog with pita bread, boursin cheese, and red onions. The guest had an almost pained look on her face. Probably not good. I don't know if I would have called it "maki" because that brings to mind the horrors of Spam Musubi.
Hosea - Pork Hot Dog with Roasted Poblanos, Jalapenos, smoked bacon & red vinegar. They seemed to appreciate the smokiness.
Stefan - He called this a "world dog" - Italian Sausage on French Bread with Wisonsin Cheese and Irish Tartar Sauce, served with a German beer. Padme appreciates a cocktail, so she looked pleased. Sounded yummy. I think I could have skipped the tartar sauce.
Carla - Lamb & Pork sausage with sauerkraut, caramelized onions. They liked how moist it was, or at least commented on it.
Ariane - Chicken sausage with bacon, celery seed, garlic and white pepper. They commented on how strong the celery seed was. Probably that's not a good thing.
Fabio - Andouille sausage with goat cheese, roasted bell pepper and sundried tomato. They commented on it's mediteranean flavors.
Jamie - Pork & Beef sausage with bacon, onions, and cayenne pepper. Oh nooooo - Padma got a piece of bone. That's such a no no.
The judges then enjoyed a hot dog from Angelina, and it looked yummy.
They skipped some people. Were they that bad, or just in the middle of the pack and not worth mentioning? Curious.
Jill is called out for using a store-bought hot dog, which is one thing, but then she used it in an unimaginative way. The guest judge said that she wouldn't travel anywhere for Stefan's "World Dog" and he is upset by that.
On a positive note, she loved Radhika's offering, along with Fabio and Hosea's. The win is given to Radhika. I am happy.
For their challenge, they are going to be opening a Top Chef restaurant in Manhattan, with a 3 course New American menu.
They split up to do appetizer, entrees, and desserts. They had $1500 to shop between themselves.
Hosea made the dubious decision of taking the only crab available, in a carton, that he couldn't look at, smell, or anything first. That could bite him. Fabio is planning a carpacio. Jill was drawn to ostrich eggs and decided to do a quiche. I am not sure how a store has only one kind of crab, in a carton, but has ostrich eggs. That seems a bit off to me.
They have 2 hours to prep.
The appetizer group is Fabio, Hosea, Melissa, and Leah.
The entree group is Stefan, Alex, Eugene, Jill, and Jeff.
The dessert group is Carla, Ariane, Daniel, Richard, and Radhika.
Tom arrived to tell them that they would be cooking in one of his restaurants - Craft. All the diners will be 50 NY chefs that tried out for the show and didn't make it. Ouch. This should be interesting.
Back in the Chef apartment, Fabio dropped his favorite quots about princesses and dragons again. The next morning, Carla and her crazy eyes were feeling the pressure of working at Craft. They get to the restaurant and they have 2 hours to prep.
Jamie is doing a cold corn soup, and Fabio is doing a funky olive technique, and Hosea is feeling good about his crab after adding some seasoning. Ariane wanted everyone to taste her Lemon Meringue Martini, and there seems to be some consensus that it's too sweet, but she decides to keep it, and tells them "if I go under, you're all going to hear it." Way to stand up for your own product.
The disgruntled diners arrived and started complaining right off about the menu, but mostly because it wasn't theirs. Tom and one of his chefs is expediting.
Appetizers go out.
Jamie has made a chilled sweet corn soup with chili oil and mint. She is pretty confident about it, and the judge's table liked it.
Hosea's dish is Chilled crab with citrus vanilla dressing, mango, and avocado. The judges called it slimy and muddy, and one of the diners called it tinny. Not good at all. I wonder if Hosea actually tasted it.
Leah made Yukon potato, seared scallops, with chives and pink peppercorns. The scallops were called sandy, and the judges called it "very 80's." Yipes.
Fabio's appetizer is a beef carpaccio with arugula salad, parmesan, and his spherical olives. The judges appreciated his olive technique.
Melissa's dish is grilled avocado, white peaches, nectarines, and a light balsamic vinagrette. Nothing special, seemingly.
Onto the entrees!
Jill's offering is ostrich egg quiche with rice-pecan crust, asparagus, and aged cheese. It's taste is likened to glue and dog food. Not good.
Eugene has made an open meatloaf sandwich with ciabatta, gouda fondue, and portobello ragout. The presentation is called bad.
Stefan's entree is a pan seared halibut with micro greens, ravioli, champagne sauce, and dill oil. The judges liked it a lot, as did the diners.
Jeff's behind serving his dish, which is southern chicken, with honey mustard, and corn spoon bread. It seemed to go over well.
Alex has made a grilled pork tenderloin with potatoes and mixed vegetables. It's called "not good at all."
And it's dessert time.
Radhika made a citrus avocado mouse with chocolate wontons and a chocolate milk kalhua shot. The judges called it sweet guacamole, and she was lucky to have immunity, and they said you could tell she had immunity, because there was no real other explanation for that dish.
Daniel made a ricotta pound cake with toasted pistachios and strawberry lemon coulis. It gets good reviews.
Ariane's Lemon Merinque Martini has hidden cherries under a cookie at the bottom. The judges looked like they wanted to spit it out because of the sweetness. Not good at all.
Richard's looks much better - a banana bread sandwich with peanut butter and banana brulee, served with grape gelato. The judges called it an after school snack.
Carla made a rustic apple tart with ginger peach tea, apple cider reduction, and some cheddar cheese. The judges did not appreciate the plating of the cheese, but liked the flavor.
Once service was over, Tom tasted all of the food in the kitchen in front of the chefs. They looked about ready to throw up with nerves. The diners seemed even more bitter about not being chosen for the show after tasting some of these dishes.
It's time for Judge's Table. Tom appreciated the way they worked in the kitchen, but did not like a lot of the food. Jamie, Hosea, Ariane, Fabio, Carla, and Jill were sent back to the Judge's Table.
Carla's dessert is given high honors, and Fabio got defensive about his dish before they even told him how they felt about it, and was humbled when they said they liked it. I am little disappointed that it is the same dish he has made at his own restaurant. Jamie's corn soup is lauded. They liked how fresh it tasted.
Fabio is named the winner, and they really loved his olive trick. I still wish it was a new dish for him. He's happy to be tied with Stefan.
Hosea's crab salad was one of the worst ones, and they said it was underseasoned. He thought he was going to win. He was obviously delusional. Ariane's martini was pretty dreadful. Padma spit it out. Jill's ostrich egg quiche didn't go well together and she couldn't answer when the judges asked her how she would make it better if they keep her. She floundered a bit and looked lost.
It's Jill going home, and Ariane thought she was going. I was happy to see Jill gone, because she also failed at the Quickfire. Ariane felt that she didn't deserve to stay, and broke down afterwards.
Next week is a Thanksgiving episode. Fun.
Do you think the right person went home tonight?
Richard laments the loss of Pat from Team Rainbow. Ariene feels vulnerable, and Stefan feels pretty good. Fabio says he doesn't mind Stefan winning the challenges. "In Italian, we have a saying. It doesn't matter how many dragons you kill, it's who takes home the princess."
And with that, onward to the Quickfire, where the guest judge is Donatella Arpeia (sure I messed that name up). I wish I knew these guest judges more.
Their quickfire is all about cooking something New Yorkers love - hot dogs. They are cooking against a famous hot dog cart cook - Angelina. Chef with the best hot dog in 45 minutes wins immunity.
Some are making hot dogs from scratch, and both Stefan and Fabio decide to make something on the panini side of things. Radhika, who doesn't want to be called the Indian cook, is making an Indian-inspired kebab-dog. Sounds good, so hopefully it won't pigeon-hole her.
Jill - Summer Roll hot dog cooked in chili, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. She did not make her own hot dog, and they didn't say much about it.
Radhika - Kabob-stule sausage (lamb, pork, ground chuck) with caramelized onions, cucumbers, and tomato jam. I would so eat that. Of course, I love Indian food, and I love kabob, so I am predisposed to cheer for Radhika.
Daniel - Pork Hot dog with horseradish mustard, fried onion, garlic powder. He used his own casing. They looked like they liked it.
Eugene - Maki roll hot dog with pita bread, boursin cheese, and red onions. The guest had an almost pained look on her face. Probably not good. I don't know if I would have called it "maki" because that brings to mind the horrors of Spam Musubi.
Hosea - Pork Hot Dog with Roasted Poblanos, Jalapenos, smoked bacon & red vinegar. They seemed to appreciate the smokiness.
Stefan - He called this a "world dog" - Italian Sausage on French Bread with Wisonsin Cheese and Irish Tartar Sauce, served with a German beer. Padme appreciates a cocktail, so she looked pleased. Sounded yummy. I think I could have skipped the tartar sauce.
Carla - Lamb & Pork sausage with sauerkraut, caramelized onions. They liked how moist it was, or at least commented on it.
Ariane - Chicken sausage with bacon, celery seed, garlic and white pepper. They commented on how strong the celery seed was. Probably that's not a good thing.
Fabio - Andouille sausage with goat cheese, roasted bell pepper and sundried tomato. They commented on it's mediteranean flavors.
Jamie - Pork & Beef sausage with bacon, onions, and cayenne pepper. Oh nooooo - Padma got a piece of bone. That's such a no no.
The judges then enjoyed a hot dog from Angelina, and it looked yummy.
They skipped some people. Were they that bad, or just in the middle of the pack and not worth mentioning? Curious.
Jill is called out for using a store-bought hot dog, which is one thing, but then she used it in an unimaginative way. The guest judge said that she wouldn't travel anywhere for Stefan's "World Dog" and he is upset by that.
On a positive note, she loved Radhika's offering, along with Fabio and Hosea's. The win is given to Radhika. I am happy.
For their challenge, they are going to be opening a Top Chef restaurant in Manhattan, with a 3 course New American menu.
They split up to do appetizer, entrees, and desserts. They had $1500 to shop between themselves.
Hosea made the dubious decision of taking the only crab available, in a carton, that he couldn't look at, smell, or anything first. That could bite him. Fabio is planning a carpacio. Jill was drawn to ostrich eggs and decided to do a quiche. I am not sure how a store has only one kind of crab, in a carton, but has ostrich eggs. That seems a bit off to me.
They have 2 hours to prep.
The appetizer group is Fabio, Hosea, Melissa, and Leah.
The entree group is Stefan, Alex, Eugene, Jill, and Jeff.
The dessert group is Carla, Ariane, Daniel, Richard, and Radhika.
Tom arrived to tell them that they would be cooking in one of his restaurants - Craft. All the diners will be 50 NY chefs that tried out for the show and didn't make it. Ouch. This should be interesting.
Back in the Chef apartment, Fabio dropped his favorite quots about princesses and dragons again. The next morning, Carla and her crazy eyes were feeling the pressure of working at Craft. They get to the restaurant and they have 2 hours to prep.
Jamie is doing a cold corn soup, and Fabio is doing a funky olive technique, and Hosea is feeling good about his crab after adding some seasoning. Ariane wanted everyone to taste her Lemon Meringue Martini, and there seems to be some consensus that it's too sweet, but she decides to keep it, and tells them "if I go under, you're all going to hear it." Way to stand up for your own product.
The disgruntled diners arrived and started complaining right off about the menu, but mostly because it wasn't theirs. Tom and one of his chefs is expediting.
Appetizers go out.
Jamie has made a chilled sweet corn soup with chili oil and mint. She is pretty confident about it, and the judge's table liked it.
Hosea's dish is Chilled crab with citrus vanilla dressing, mango, and avocado. The judges called it slimy and muddy, and one of the diners called it tinny. Not good at all. I wonder if Hosea actually tasted it.
Leah made Yukon potato, seared scallops, with chives and pink peppercorns. The scallops were called sandy, and the judges called it "very 80's." Yipes.
Fabio's appetizer is a beef carpaccio with arugula salad, parmesan, and his spherical olives. The judges appreciated his olive technique.
Melissa's dish is grilled avocado, white peaches, nectarines, and a light balsamic vinagrette. Nothing special, seemingly.
Onto the entrees!
Jill's offering is ostrich egg quiche with rice-pecan crust, asparagus, and aged cheese. It's taste is likened to glue and dog food. Not good.
Eugene has made an open meatloaf sandwich with ciabatta, gouda fondue, and portobello ragout. The presentation is called bad.
Stefan's entree is a pan seared halibut with micro greens, ravioli, champagne sauce, and dill oil. The judges liked it a lot, as did the diners.
Jeff's behind serving his dish, which is southern chicken, with honey mustard, and corn spoon bread. It seemed to go over well.
Alex has made a grilled pork tenderloin with potatoes and mixed vegetables. It's called "not good at all."
And it's dessert time.
Radhika made a citrus avocado mouse with chocolate wontons and a chocolate milk kalhua shot. The judges called it sweet guacamole, and she was lucky to have immunity, and they said you could tell she had immunity, because there was no real other explanation for that dish.
Daniel made a ricotta pound cake with toasted pistachios and strawberry lemon coulis. It gets good reviews.
Ariane's Lemon Merinque Martini has hidden cherries under a cookie at the bottom. The judges looked like they wanted to spit it out because of the sweetness. Not good at all.
Richard's looks much better - a banana bread sandwich with peanut butter and banana brulee, served with grape gelato. The judges called it an after school snack.
Carla made a rustic apple tart with ginger peach tea, apple cider reduction, and some cheddar cheese. The judges did not appreciate the plating of the cheese, but liked the flavor.
Once service was over, Tom tasted all of the food in the kitchen in front of the chefs. They looked about ready to throw up with nerves. The diners seemed even more bitter about not being chosen for the show after tasting some of these dishes.
It's time for Judge's Table. Tom appreciated the way they worked in the kitchen, but did not like a lot of the food. Jamie, Hosea, Ariane, Fabio, Carla, and Jill were sent back to the Judge's Table.
Carla's dessert is given high honors, and Fabio got defensive about his dish before they even told him how they felt about it, and was humbled when they said they liked it. I am little disappointed that it is the same dish he has made at his own restaurant. Jamie's corn soup is lauded. They liked how fresh it tasted.
Fabio is named the winner, and they really loved his olive trick. I still wish it was a new dish for him. He's happy to be tied with Stefan.
Hosea's crab salad was one of the worst ones, and they said it was underseasoned. He thought he was going to win. He was obviously delusional. Ariane's martini was pretty dreadful. Padma spit it out. Jill's ostrich egg quiche didn't go well together and she couldn't answer when the judges asked her how she would make it better if they keep her. She floundered a bit and looked lost.
It's Jill going home, and Ariane thought she was going. I was happy to see Jill gone, because she also failed at the Quickfire. Ariane felt that she didn't deserve to stay, and broke down afterwards.
Next week is a Thanksgiving episode. Fun.
Do you think the right person went home tonight?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Amazing Race - 11.16.08
I am so happy that Kelly and Christy are gone, I'm nearly giddy.
The teams start in Delhi, and Nick and Starr are the first to leave, heading for lovely Almaty, Kazakhstan, to then head to a chicken factory. I'm sure you've seen the Borat-heavy promos for this week's show, so this destination is not exactly a surprise. At the travel agency, while their team members look for flights, Starr and Dallas took a moment to do some flirting.
I'm kind of missing Tina's bright green hair. Starr and Nick were upset to see Ken and Tina getting in line for the same flight, and Toni told them to not be catty about it, pretty much. The three of those teams got on the first flight, and Terence and Sarah got onto a second flight, arriving an hour and a half later. Dan and Andrew got on a third flight out.
In lovely Kazakhstan, the first teams headed out to the chicken factory in the middle of the night. Ken and Tina made the obligatory joke about not counting chickens before they hatch. It would seem that the three different flights don't make a lick of a difference, because the chicken factory doesn't open until 7:30 AM. I hate when that happens. The bottlenecks are frustrating for a race. Dan and Andrew arrived after daylight, and after their cabbie had a hard time at first finding the place, they eventuall caught up just as the gates opened. It was a mad race for the clue.
It's a Roadblock - Close encounter of a "bird" kind. They need to search among a huge amount of chickens for one of seven golden eggs.
There is also a Fast Forward opportunity. Teams must travel to a restaurant and both team members must eat a traditional Kazhak feat, consisting of the fat from the rear end of a sheep. Terence and Sarah and Nick and Starr went for the Fast Forward. Everyone else searched for the golden egg. Having smelled chicken poop before, I might choose the sheep ass fat.
Toni was the first to find her golden egg, and the next stop is to take a crane truck to a Mongol warrior recreation to get their next clue. Andrew got his clue next, and Tina finally found hers, too. There are only two Mongol warriors, so someone is going to have to wait for their clue.
Meanwhile, at the Fast Forward, both teams arrived and ordered their food. Starr wisely skipped looking at the part of the menu that outlined what the food they were ordering was, while Terence turned out to be a vegetarian, so he was not so pleased to see piles of meat served to him. I couldn't suppress a giggle. Don't choose a Fast Forward at a restaurant when you have such dietary restrictions. It's a pretty good bet for it to be meat filled.
Toni and Dallas arrived at the Mongol warriors first, and a giant eagle flew in to give them their Detour Clue.
Play like Mad - Go to a musical museum and learn to play tradional musical instruments to play a folk tune, then once they have learned the song well enough, go to a local park and play until they get the equivalent of $1.50 in tips before moving on.
Act like fools - Go to a children's puppet theatre, find the wardrobe department, dress in a two person cow costume, wander the streets to a marked stall, drink a glass of milk, get the next clue, which will lead them to a butcher where they are to "deliver themselves." Hilarious.
Dallas and Toni are up to being a cow. As they are leaving, Ken and Tina show up, while Dan and Andrew are still having a hard time finding the place.
At the Fast Forward, Terence gave up, while Nick and Starr worked on finishing theirs. Terence took the time to throw up before heading back to the Roadblock. Nick and Starr got their sheep ass fat down and off to the Pit Stop they went. I am proud of them. Each of them won a 180 HP Wave Runner for using after the race.
Sarah went out in search of golden eggs, and she was asking the chickens to "move please." Because chickens always appreciate courtesy. She found the egg, but I don't think the niceties helped.
They could be in the game still, because Dan and Andrew are having a hard time finding the Mongol Warriors.
The first cow heads out into the street, with Dallas in front, and Toni in back. They headed out into the street with moos all around, and were having fun with it. Ken and Tina went out as well, and Ken tried to moo as well, but Tina scolded him for having fun. Tina found the milk stand fist, and called it "warm and strong." She drank the milk down, but she didn't see that she had to read a clue on the bottom of the glass. Toni and Dallas got their clue properly, and headed off to the butcher. Tina finally realized that she made a mistake and returned to the milk stand, got the clue, and then they made the (possibly) fatal error to return their cow costume first. Ken questioned this decision, but went along with it anyway. The cow that was Dallas and Toni got the clue to the pit stop, and are told to bring their cow head with them. On their way out, they met up with Ken and Tina, and told them that they had to be wearing their costume. Ken and Tina went to the meat section anyway, but were turned away for lack of costume, so back they went.
Dan and Andrew got their cow on, but left their shoes in the costume shop. Not sure about that decision. Terence and Sarah also chose to wear the cow, and Sarah mentioned putting her shoes in her bag. Probably a good idea. I don't like her much, but I am still impressed with the fact that Sarah seems to know a few terms in most languages they are encountering. Dan and Andrew offered a guy "1000" in unnamed currency to show them to the places they had to go, and they quickly got through their task, but they decided to take a cab to the pitstop. Phil sent them back to the end of the pitstop, to walk back. They cabbed it back, to return by foot. Terence and Sarah mooed their way to the meat market, and started out. Dan and Andrew realized their mistake in not grabbing their shoes, because it's hard to run in cow costume boots. They got into a tiff with each other about pace, and got kind of lost. Still, they managed to beat Terence and Sarah to the pit stop.
My hopes for an elimination leg are granted. Stalker Terence and Sarah are eliminated. I will not miss them. I am thrilled.
And you? Who are you rooting for now? I'm really loving the way that Dallas and Toni and Nick and Starr are running the race, so I'd be happy with either of them.
The teams start in Delhi, and Nick and Starr are the first to leave, heading for lovely Almaty, Kazakhstan, to then head to a chicken factory. I'm sure you've seen the Borat-heavy promos for this week's show, so this destination is not exactly a surprise. At the travel agency, while their team members look for flights, Starr and Dallas took a moment to do some flirting.
I'm kind of missing Tina's bright green hair. Starr and Nick were upset to see Ken and Tina getting in line for the same flight, and Toni told them to not be catty about it, pretty much. The three of those teams got on the first flight, and Terence and Sarah got onto a second flight, arriving an hour and a half later. Dan and Andrew got on a third flight out.
In lovely Kazakhstan, the first teams headed out to the chicken factory in the middle of the night. Ken and Tina made the obligatory joke about not counting chickens before they hatch. It would seem that the three different flights don't make a lick of a difference, because the chicken factory doesn't open until 7:30 AM. I hate when that happens. The bottlenecks are frustrating for a race. Dan and Andrew arrived after daylight, and after their cabbie had a hard time at first finding the place, they eventuall caught up just as the gates opened. It was a mad race for the clue.
It's a Roadblock - Close encounter of a "bird" kind. They need to search among a huge amount of chickens for one of seven golden eggs.
There is also a Fast Forward opportunity. Teams must travel to a restaurant and both team members must eat a traditional Kazhak feat, consisting of the fat from the rear end of a sheep. Terence and Sarah and Nick and Starr went for the Fast Forward. Everyone else searched for the golden egg. Having smelled chicken poop before, I might choose the sheep ass fat.
Toni was the first to find her golden egg, and the next stop is to take a crane truck to a Mongol warrior recreation to get their next clue. Andrew got his clue next, and Tina finally found hers, too. There are only two Mongol warriors, so someone is going to have to wait for their clue.
Meanwhile, at the Fast Forward, both teams arrived and ordered their food. Starr wisely skipped looking at the part of the menu that outlined what the food they were ordering was, while Terence turned out to be a vegetarian, so he was not so pleased to see piles of meat served to him. I couldn't suppress a giggle. Don't choose a Fast Forward at a restaurant when you have such dietary restrictions. It's a pretty good bet for it to be meat filled.
Toni and Dallas arrived at the Mongol warriors first, and a giant eagle flew in to give them their Detour Clue.
Play like Mad - Go to a musical museum and learn to play tradional musical instruments to play a folk tune, then once they have learned the song well enough, go to a local park and play until they get the equivalent of $1.50 in tips before moving on.
Act like fools - Go to a children's puppet theatre, find the wardrobe department, dress in a two person cow costume, wander the streets to a marked stall, drink a glass of milk, get the next clue, which will lead them to a butcher where they are to "deliver themselves." Hilarious.
Dallas and Toni are up to being a cow. As they are leaving, Ken and Tina show up, while Dan and Andrew are still having a hard time finding the place.
At the Fast Forward, Terence gave up, while Nick and Starr worked on finishing theirs. Terence took the time to throw up before heading back to the Roadblock. Nick and Starr got their sheep ass fat down and off to the Pit Stop they went. I am proud of them. Each of them won a 180 HP Wave Runner for using after the race.
Sarah went out in search of golden eggs, and she was asking the chickens to "move please." Because chickens always appreciate courtesy. She found the egg, but I don't think the niceties helped.
They could be in the game still, because Dan and Andrew are having a hard time finding the Mongol Warriors.
The first cow heads out into the street, with Dallas in front, and Toni in back. They headed out into the street with moos all around, and were having fun with it. Ken and Tina went out as well, and Ken tried to moo as well, but Tina scolded him for having fun. Tina found the milk stand fist, and called it "warm and strong." She drank the milk down, but she didn't see that she had to read a clue on the bottom of the glass. Toni and Dallas got their clue properly, and headed off to the butcher. Tina finally realized that she made a mistake and returned to the milk stand, got the clue, and then they made the (possibly) fatal error to return their cow costume first. Ken questioned this decision, but went along with it anyway. The cow that was Dallas and Toni got the clue to the pit stop, and are told to bring their cow head with them. On their way out, they met up with Ken and Tina, and told them that they had to be wearing their costume. Ken and Tina went to the meat section anyway, but were turned away for lack of costume, so back they went.
Dan and Andrew got their cow on, but left their shoes in the costume shop. Not sure about that decision. Terence and Sarah also chose to wear the cow, and Sarah mentioned putting her shoes in her bag. Probably a good idea. I don't like her much, but I am still impressed with the fact that Sarah seems to know a few terms in most languages they are encountering. Dan and Andrew offered a guy "1000" in unnamed currency to show them to the places they had to go, and they quickly got through their task, but they decided to take a cab to the pitstop. Phil sent them back to the end of the pitstop, to walk back. They cabbed it back, to return by foot. Terence and Sarah mooed their way to the meat market, and started out. Dan and Andrew realized their mistake in not grabbing their shoes, because it's hard to run in cow costume boots. They got into a tiff with each other about pace, and got kind of lost. Still, they managed to beat Terence and Sarah to the pit stop.
My hopes for an elimination leg are granted. Stalker Terence and Sarah are eliminated. I will not miss them. I am thrilled.
And you? Who are you rooting for now? I'm really loving the way that Dallas and Toni and Nick and Starr are running the race, so I'd be happy with either of them.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
On the bubble: Pushing Daisies
It's fate is unsettled currently.
I have signed the petition (not sure if this will do anything to help, but it certainly can't hurt).
I will cry and cry if it gets canceled.
I'll be buying whatever seasons they do make on dvd, but I don't want the forensic fairy tale to end.
Hope hope hope hope hope.
I don't want a CSI: Peoria, I want more Pushing Daisies.
I have signed the petition (not sure if this will do anything to help, but it certainly can't hurt).
I will cry and cry if it gets canceled.
I'll be buying whatever seasons they do make on dvd, but I don't want the forensic fairy tale to end.
Hope hope hope hope hope.
I don't want a CSI: Peoria, I want more Pushing Daisies.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Survivor Gabon: 11.13.08
Probst was sounding pretty gleeful about the show pulling a fast one on the Survivors last week. Back from Tribal, Ken says that his Inner Crystal came out at Tribal, and he stood up for himself. I feel very badly for Bob. I hope that the game changes in such a way to keep him in it.
My friend and reader Ed brought to my attention last week that they changed the opening credits to only include the Survivors still in the game. That's new for this season, and I like it. This week, they also included "The Jury" in the opening credits, which so far is just Marcus. I really like that.
Fang is looking pretty pitiful. They retrieve Tree Mail, and it's Survivor Golf with a sling shot. The Onion is rocked to it's inner layers at the vision of Kota without Marcus. Corinne is pissed, and says so. Charlie is sad and looked about to cry. Ken asserted that no one really deserves to leave the game, so it's all in the fair and part of it. I tend to agree with him.
The slingshot takes the place of a club, and the tribe that takes the least amount of shots to get in the hole (a big sand pit) wins. The reward is a wonderful cultural experience.
Bob helps Kota get a really good drive, and Fang does a good job, too. It's close. Bob's second shot brings it right next to the pit. Fang's gets a good bounce and ends up pretty close. Ken takes the third shot for Kota and drops it in. Kota wins the first hole.
Bob's first shot for the second hole brings them over 125 yards, and Fang also gets close. Fang's second shot is amazing and they end up bouncing to just 6 inches from the hole. Ken's second shot for Kota is long, and Matty pops their close shot in for Fang.
The third shot stars for Fang and does a decent job. Bob's shot is wonderful. Matty has a good bounce off the second shot and they get really close. Bob launches the second one for a good bounce and ends up near the hole. Ken (the putter) misses by about 6 inches and goes past. Matty ends up just short for Fang. Ken putts again and gets very close, but misses. Randy talks too much and there is a lot of discussion about how to get the ball in for Fang. Randy is pissing everyone off, but Matty ends up getting it in. I am happy for Fang's win, though Bob is wonderful. Randy can't be happy about the win, because they didn't win it on his terms. Fang decides to send Bob to Exile, in hopes that he finds the Idol. Sugar is acting pretty sure that Bob won't find the idol, because it's all hers, and though I love her, I hope for Bob's sake that there is another Idol out there and that he finds it.
The Reward started with them getting washed by the tribe members, and they got new tribal clothes. Corinne got chummy with a little girl, and admitted that she was the last person who you would expect to see making friends with a little kid. Charlie admitted that Marcus did a lot of the strategic thinking for The Onion. Randy thinks that one of the tribal women was coming onto him when they were all dancing, and I don't know about that, but they had fun. Sugar looked like she had a total blast. I was happy for Matty, because he was just stuck in the pit of despair that was Fang for so long, he deserved a respite.
Over at Kota, Ken was stuck going around in circles in the boat until he finally figured out how to get moving. He managed to bring in three tilapia, and that is cool. He is justifiably proud of himself for being the tribal provider while Bob is at Exile. Good for him.
Bob is doing his best to find the (hopefully) hidden Idol. He quickly found the clues and waded through the same river that Sugar had ... and found no idol. The nail was there in the tree, but no idol. I am saddened. Bob comes up with a Yau plan to build a fake idol. He did a good job - he used tree resin and very decorative looking things to make a very convincing idol! Much better than Yau's stick. Good luck to him!
There was a tree mail about a fire starting immunity challenge, and it sounds individual. Randy made some pretty disparaging comments about Crystal, calling her Sasquatch, Big Foot, and other nasty things. When they get to the challenge, it's a merge. Bob handily replaced his old Buff Bow Tie with a brand new bright blue one. Have I mentioned that I love Bob?
Immunity is simple - it's a redux of the Stephanie/Bobby John challenge from a few seasons ago. Flint, steal, kindling and the like, and they have to be the first to start a fire and burn through a rope to raise a flag. I like this kind of challenge, which is actually relevant to something they need to do to survive, literally. Bob was getting some pretty good looking sparks, but Susie was the first to get a flame. That was surprising. Matty cut himself but kept going. Sugar gets flame second. They both build impressive fires. Susie wins the immunity, and Sugar pouted. No one else even began to get flame.
They get reward items from the Kota camp, but the merged tribe is going over to old Fang camp. Matty was thrilled with the luxury items - mainly the food. People then took off to the forest to start strategizing. The Onion (well, Randy) wants Crystal out. They need Sugar to help their plan. Sugar doesn't want to work with Randy. Corinne makes a good show of caring for Sugar's feelings, but admits it was a complete strategy, and that she thinks Sugar is a moron for believing her. The original Fang wants to split up Charlie and Corinne. They were leaning towards Corinne, but Ken convinced them that Charlie needs to go, in reality because he was mad at him for taking the Immunity clue, but he convinced them that Charlie is the brains behind the whole Onion. Ken tries to chat Sugar up, and Sugar listens to him, but admits that she doesn't trust anyone, so it is unclear who she is going to vote for.
The new tribe name is Nobag, which is Gabon backwards. Come on, they could have come up with something more original than that, don't you think? I like when they get the name from a word in the indiginous language. Oh well.
It's Tribal time. Randy is defending his behavior at the Reward Challenge, and still looks like a complete moron. Crystal asked Randy flat out why he has an issue with her. Randy said that she and GC ran the tribe like a gang (he called it a posse) in the beginning of the game. He ends up just sounding like a racist bigot, which I would not doubt. I don't doubt that Crystal is kind of annoying and not very strong, but Randy is just being obnoxious about it. Charlie says that people really need to process what comes out of their mouth at this point in the game. Ken says that he likes Charlie (but does not admit that he wants him gone), and Charlie says that he likes Ken. Even Randy says that he likes Ken's growth in the game. Sugar says that she doesn't like talking crap about people, and she is hoping that being gone at Exile so much didn't hurt her.
Randy's sole word when writing down Crystal's name was "Bitch" but only wrote down C.C. God, I hate him. Charlie is funny, though, voting for Crystal because "you took out my Marcus, and that makes me really mad." Sugar was in tears before casting her vote.
How is it going to end up?
Probst called out Randy for his C.C. vote, asking who wrote it, and then when Randy said it was him, telling him "you want to vote somebody out, you have to write their name down." It's 4 vs. 4, and Sugar voted for Charlie! He gets to be with "his Marcus" in the jury, and the Fang alliance looks to be taking down The Onion. I hope that they get rid of Crystal in their alliance and bring in Bob! Maybe he can fool them with his fake idol.
What a good episode! Next week, Randy looks to be even more obnoxious. I didn't think that would be possible, but it is. And yay, he's getting naked. Can you feel my sarcasm? Hope so. Until then.
Can't wait to see what Probst blogs about this episode.
My friend and reader Ed brought to my attention last week that they changed the opening credits to only include the Survivors still in the game. That's new for this season, and I like it. This week, they also included "The Jury" in the opening credits, which so far is just Marcus. I really like that.
Fang is looking pretty pitiful. They retrieve Tree Mail, and it's Survivor Golf with a sling shot. The Onion is rocked to it's inner layers at the vision of Kota without Marcus. Corinne is pissed, and says so. Charlie is sad and looked about to cry. Ken asserted that no one really deserves to leave the game, so it's all in the fair and part of it. I tend to agree with him.
The slingshot takes the place of a club, and the tribe that takes the least amount of shots to get in the hole (a big sand pit) wins. The reward is a wonderful cultural experience.
Bob helps Kota get a really good drive, and Fang does a good job, too. It's close. Bob's second shot brings it right next to the pit. Fang's gets a good bounce and ends up pretty close. Ken takes the third shot for Kota and drops it in. Kota wins the first hole.
Bob's first shot for the second hole brings them over 125 yards, and Fang also gets close. Fang's second shot is amazing and they end up bouncing to just 6 inches from the hole. Ken's second shot for Kota is long, and Matty pops their close shot in for Fang.
The third shot stars for Fang and does a decent job. Bob's shot is wonderful. Matty has a good bounce off the second shot and they get really close. Bob launches the second one for a good bounce and ends up near the hole. Ken (the putter) misses by about 6 inches and goes past. Matty ends up just short for Fang. Ken putts again and gets very close, but misses. Randy talks too much and there is a lot of discussion about how to get the ball in for Fang. Randy is pissing everyone off, but Matty ends up getting it in. I am happy for Fang's win, though Bob is wonderful. Randy can't be happy about the win, because they didn't win it on his terms. Fang decides to send Bob to Exile, in hopes that he finds the Idol. Sugar is acting pretty sure that Bob won't find the idol, because it's all hers, and though I love her, I hope for Bob's sake that there is another Idol out there and that he finds it.
The Reward started with them getting washed by the tribe members, and they got new tribal clothes. Corinne got chummy with a little girl, and admitted that she was the last person who you would expect to see making friends with a little kid. Charlie admitted that Marcus did a lot of the strategic thinking for The Onion. Randy thinks that one of the tribal women was coming onto him when they were all dancing, and I don't know about that, but they had fun. Sugar looked like she had a total blast. I was happy for Matty, because he was just stuck in the pit of despair that was Fang for so long, he deserved a respite.
Over at Kota, Ken was stuck going around in circles in the boat until he finally figured out how to get moving. He managed to bring in three tilapia, and that is cool. He is justifiably proud of himself for being the tribal provider while Bob is at Exile. Good for him.
Bob is doing his best to find the (hopefully) hidden Idol. He quickly found the clues and waded through the same river that Sugar had ... and found no idol. The nail was there in the tree, but no idol. I am saddened. Bob comes up with a Yau plan to build a fake idol. He did a good job - he used tree resin and very decorative looking things to make a very convincing idol! Much better than Yau's stick. Good luck to him!
There was a tree mail about a fire starting immunity challenge, and it sounds individual. Randy made some pretty disparaging comments about Crystal, calling her Sasquatch, Big Foot, and other nasty things. When they get to the challenge, it's a merge. Bob handily replaced his old Buff Bow Tie with a brand new bright blue one. Have I mentioned that I love Bob?
Immunity is simple - it's a redux of the Stephanie/Bobby John challenge from a few seasons ago. Flint, steal, kindling and the like, and they have to be the first to start a fire and burn through a rope to raise a flag. I like this kind of challenge, which is actually relevant to something they need to do to survive, literally. Bob was getting some pretty good looking sparks, but Susie was the first to get a flame. That was surprising. Matty cut himself but kept going. Sugar gets flame second. They both build impressive fires. Susie wins the immunity, and Sugar pouted. No one else even began to get flame.
They get reward items from the Kota camp, but the merged tribe is going over to old Fang camp. Matty was thrilled with the luxury items - mainly the food. People then took off to the forest to start strategizing. The Onion (well, Randy) wants Crystal out. They need Sugar to help their plan. Sugar doesn't want to work with Randy. Corinne makes a good show of caring for Sugar's feelings, but admits it was a complete strategy, and that she thinks Sugar is a moron for believing her. The original Fang wants to split up Charlie and Corinne. They were leaning towards Corinne, but Ken convinced them that Charlie needs to go, in reality because he was mad at him for taking the Immunity clue, but he convinced them that Charlie is the brains behind the whole Onion. Ken tries to chat Sugar up, and Sugar listens to him, but admits that she doesn't trust anyone, so it is unclear who she is going to vote for.
The new tribe name is Nobag, which is Gabon backwards. Come on, they could have come up with something more original than that, don't you think? I like when they get the name from a word in the indiginous language. Oh well.
It's Tribal time. Randy is defending his behavior at the Reward Challenge, and still looks like a complete moron. Crystal asked Randy flat out why he has an issue with her. Randy said that she and GC ran the tribe like a gang (he called it a posse) in the beginning of the game. He ends up just sounding like a racist bigot, which I would not doubt. I don't doubt that Crystal is kind of annoying and not very strong, but Randy is just being obnoxious about it. Charlie says that people really need to process what comes out of their mouth at this point in the game. Ken says that he likes Charlie (but does not admit that he wants him gone), and Charlie says that he likes Ken. Even Randy says that he likes Ken's growth in the game. Sugar says that she doesn't like talking crap about people, and she is hoping that being gone at Exile so much didn't hurt her.
Randy's sole word when writing down Crystal's name was "Bitch" but only wrote down C.C. God, I hate him. Charlie is funny, though, voting for Crystal because "you took out my Marcus, and that makes me really mad." Sugar was in tears before casting her vote.
How is it going to end up?
Probst called out Randy for his C.C. vote, asking who wrote it, and then when Randy said it was him, telling him "you want to vote somebody out, you have to write their name down." It's 4 vs. 4, and Sugar voted for Charlie! He gets to be with "his Marcus" in the jury, and the Fang alliance looks to be taking down The Onion. I hope that they get rid of Crystal in their alliance and bring in Bob! Maybe he can fool them with his fake idol.
What a good episode! Next week, Randy looks to be even more obnoxious. I didn't think that would be possible, but it is. And yay, he's getting naked. Can you feel my sarcasm? Hope so. Until then.
Can't wait to see what Probst blogs about this episode.
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